STATEMENT BY VICE PRESIDENT GORE
ON EXECUTIVE ORDER ON WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and missile
technology is a top foreign policy priority of the United State
Government. The Executive Order issued today gives the President
additional powerful, but flexible, tools to use in our efforts to cut
off the export of sensitive technologies. These new tools will be
immediately helpful, especially in our efforts to work with the Russian
government to meet our mutual objectives in non-proliferation.

Two weeks ago, the Russian government announced an investigation into
nine entities suspected of violating Russian export controls. To
support the Russian effort, the United States cut off all assistance to
these entities and imposed import/export restrictions on them.

Last week, in my meetings with Prime Minister Kiriyenko in Moscow, I
encouraged Russia's continued action to halt the spread of sensitive
technology -- for the sake of its own security as well as that of the
international community. In addition, Prime Minister Kiriyenko and I
signed two documents that advance our mutual objectives to keep
sensitive technology and materials out of the wrong hands.

The first agreement -- on plutonium management -- will begin a new
effort to safely store plutonium from dismantled nuclear weapons, or to
convert it into reactor fuel to generate electricity for Russia. The
second agreement will launch an initiative to help create new
opportunities for nuclear scientists in Russia's closed cities -- cities
that during the Cold War worked to produce nuclear weapons. This first
step includes $3.1 million in U.S. funding for nine projects that will
help Russia's nuclear scientists turn their talents toward peaceful
purposes -- and limit temptation to export dangerous technology.

Working closely and carefully with other nations -- both by imposing
penalties and offering incentives -- is essential to limiting the spread
of nuclear weapons technology and the means to deliver them. Today's
Executive Order, which expands the President's authority to impose
penalties and deterrents on suspected firms anywhere in the world, will
explicitly bar assistance to and imports from entities now being
investigated by Russia. As such, it is a prime example of the kind of
international cooperation necessary to keep our world safe in the 21st
century.